


Reflections and Recollections

by YacheBerries



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Fluff, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, the bellow pearl is just cute background shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 16:37:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20660348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YacheBerries/pseuds/YacheBerries
Summary: Spinel discovers she has a lot in common with a certain Pearl on Homeworld.





	Reflections and Recollections

**Author's Note:**

> (EDIT 12/7/19 : This fanfic was written before the Steven Universe Future episode "Volleyball" was aired! As such, the details as to how Pink Pearl got the crack on her face, as well as her fondness of Pink Diamond, are much different then what is established in canon. Also, please don't bring Spinearl hate into the comments section! Thank you!)
> 
> Original Notes:
> 
> ...8,500 words; don't ask me how I did this.
> 
> Two things I want to say before you read:
> 
> 1\. I know the fanon for Spinel/Pink Pearl is a little varied, this is just my personal take on how these two could've met, with a few personal headcanons interspersed between.  
2\. This takes place within the same continuity as my other SU fic, "Not Unprecedented". Don't worry, you don't have to read it to be familiar with anything (unless you want some more Bellow Pearl content/how Yellow and Blue Pearl became close), I just wanted to let y'all know what the base I was building upon was.

Memories can be similar to a river; they could ebb and flow peacefully around obstacles during recollections, or they could rush forward with the violent intensity of rapids, overpowering the mind.

Spinel, however, upon returning to Homeworld after her  _ long _ absence, experienced both of these opposing mental surges simultaneously… not exactly a pleasant combination, to say the least.

Homeworld had…  _ changed _ , for lack of a better word.

Spinel could vaguely recall the Diamonds giving her a rather brief overview of the past 6,000 years (though, dwelling on the past two years of "positive change" much more than the other few thousand; recent years were appealing to White Diamond for clamouring about) as they flew from Earth back to Homeworld, from their emotion-driven colonization to Steven's eventual involvement in restoring peace to all galactic neighborhoods. Spinel did somewhat appreciate the update, as being "absent" through an entire Era in Gem-terms was significant, but she couldn't help but be aware of the blatant, self-congratulatory bias festering within White Diamond's, and, to a lesser extent, Yellow and Blue Diamond's, words.

Seeing was believing, however. Homeworld's fractured appearance as seen from afar within the Diamond Mech was jarring enough, but seeing the joyous, peaceful mingling of colors, sizes, and shapes up-close as they landed was honest-to-goodness surreal to the heart-shaped Gem. Despite Homeworld's obvious state of external ruin and resource drain, everyone was living in…  _ harmony _ .

Spinel could close her eyes, scrunch her brow, and  _ maybe _ visualize what Era 1 looked like again, but even though she couldn't completely recall, it certainly wasn't this. However, Eras were not a subject her mind wished to dwell on for long, lest the blunt reminder of all she missed come flooding back and the bottled-up anger she finally managed to stow away erupt.

Once the Diamonds and Spinel reached the Diamond Palace (with as little fanfare as possible, in order for Spinel to have a discrete initial return), White Diamond suddenly realized that there had been no discussion concerning an adequate, private place for Spinel to call her own within the royal walls, despite previously stating they had a room prepared for her. The three Diamonds then began discussing potential locations one could be built or repurposed, allowing Spinel time to traverse the palace and become acquainted with her new home.

Which was what Spinel was now presently doing, the rubbery soles of her feet squeaking a bit as they hit the polished floor, echoing throughout corridors. It figured that so much of the Diamond's palace was vast and expansive, given its primary occupants, but Spinel could have sworn she was walking in circles, viewing the same symmetrical doorways over and over. All of the many columns, door frames, and embellishments were highlighted with white, bits of blue, yellow, and pink sprinkled in, and the architecture was honestly... a bit  _ too _ realistic in some cases, but Spinel tried not to dwell on it. Some doorways she passed had touchscreens near their frames, however, Spinel seldom saw a closed door of a Diamond's size, as she figured the subservient, door-opening roles of the Diamonds' Pearls had been abolished for the most part thanks to Era 3.

_ ...Pearls... _

"You're gonna tell me there's not a single other Gem in this whole place?" Spinel chuckled out loud, more to herself, if anyone. "Roomy."

She listened acutely to the sound of her voice resonating throughout the vast halls; Spinel had always been entertained by the little things, no matter how minuscule. Besides, there wasn't much else to do within the palace, at the moment, besides explore at her own accord… unless she wanted to listen to royal, previously volatile matriarchs talk about interior design and construction.

After a few moments of listening to her echoed voice, a distant, hushed conversation was suddenly reflected back at her, coming from her left. The heart-shaped Gem could swear the voices were not belonging to the Diamonds, as  _ their  _ shared tonality was anything but "hushed" (except in Blue Diamond's case, to an extent). Turning on her heel, Spinel walked in the direction of the voices, a mix of intrigue and giddiness stirring within her. Despite previous traumatic heartbreak, Spinel could still find it in herself to be excitable and strut with a spring to her step; it was involuntary.

Eventually, Spinel reached the origin of the voices, coming from a smaller, triangular-shaped doorway, certainly not meant for a Diamond. There were many bright, flashing lights seeping out from within the room, reflecting onto the polished stone below. Curious, Spinel quietly slithered to the side of the door, extending her neck a bit to peek in at its occupants.

There were two Gems, Pearls, to be exact, within the room. One was tinted blue, with unruly hair covering her eyes, a relaxed position, and a frilly, translucent skirt at her waist, and the other tinted yellow, with styled hair, a rigid, erect posture, and frilly, translucent garments draping over her shoulders. It was a bit surprising to see Pearls of such a design again, donning the likes of leotards and formalwear, after seeing the rebellious Pearl that stood by Steven's side on Earth ( _ ...Pink Diamond's Pearl… _ ). They were standing before a large motherboard of touch screens and buttons, as well as a  _ huge  _ wall of diamond-shaped screens, flickering and scrolling through various live high-rise views of Homeworld.

"I'm honestly surprised; the Diamonds have been back for quite some time now, and still no request for a broadcast?" the Yellow Pearl sighed indignantly. "They must've gotten sick from being on Earth for too long!"

"Hehe, Steven must be rubbing off on them," the Blue Pearl chimed in with a softer tone. "I wouldn't say he's camera-shy, but he's a little reserved. Not that having the Diamonds take up a bit less broadcast time is a bad thing."

Yellow Pearl managed a chuckle, placing her hand upon the board to lean against it. "Finally, we can air the second segment about how to properly dispose of old Kindergarten injector parts! The Quartzes that assisted us have been quite persistent in asking me when it'll air."

"You just desperately want to air it because you filmed it yourself, Yellow… not that it's a bad thing, your camerawork in that segment was something to be proud of~" Blue Pearl giggled, placing her hand upon Yellow Pearl's and gently running her thumb over her yellow knuckles. The casual intimacy honestly took Spinel aback; it was something she had never seen two Gems partake in so confidently (until seeing that Ruby and Sapphire on Earth).

Yellow Pearl flushed a bit, a yellow-orange blush splaying over her cheeks. "You just want to turn everything into a compliment, Blue, don't you? You're not as sly as you think you are..." she mumbled, lacing her slim, yellow fingers through blue.

Blue Pearl's little grin became wider, leaning in ever-so-slightly… but her attention shifted all of the sudden, turning a bit from Yellow Pearl's wanton gaze. Spinel flinched, realizing her awkward, nosy position was finally spotted… by the one with hair covering her face, no less!

"...excuse me? Did you need something?" Blue Pearl asked with a bit of an annoyed edge despite the soft tone, the question obviously directed at Spinel.

Yellow Pearl turned her head a bit in flustered surprise, blushing quite a lot and looking at Spinel incredulously. Seeing both Pearls from the front almost made Spinel seize up…  _ they looked so familiar... _

"O.oh… hello!" Spinel began, snapping her neck back into a relaxed position and shifting a bit to stand in the doorway, managing a carefree grin "No, I don't need anything, just exploring, hehe. Carry on!"

Yellow Pearl raised an eyebrow and looked Spinel over, her heart-shaped Gem catching the Pearl's attention. "A… Spinel?!"

Blue Pearl, despite the bangs in front of her eyes, also appeared to be examining Spinel from afar with intrigue. "It's… been  _ millennia _ since  _ I _ last saw a Spinel."

Spinel, feeling a bit uncomfortable from the distant scrutiny, extended her leg to the center of the room to approach the Pearls. Both watched the pink-hued Gem carefully, barely flinching at her rubbery actions, as if to jog memories; Spinel didn't blame them, as her own memories were being tested.

"Were you a Spinel that belonged to Pink Diamond?" Yellow Pearl blurted out suddenly after another few seconds, her narrowed eyes fixated on her Gem.

Spinel could've answered that, but a bit of the passive, searing feeling in her chest began to fester. Thankfully, she didn't have to.

"Yellow… I think it's pretty obvious," Blue Pearl giggled, covering her mouth a bit to hide her smile. Yellow Pearl turned her previously relentless gaze to Blue Pearl for a moment after that quip, her cheeks dusted with subtle orange yet again.

"I'm…  _ aware _ , Blue," Yellow Pearl spat, though with little venom in her voice; she appeared to be smiling a little herself. "However, I feel seeing Gems of a certain Era and Court justifies such a question."

Turning back to Spinel, Yellow continued to press, though, to her credit, as politely as possible. "Anyways, Pink Spinel, I apologize if this comes across as nosy… but what exactly are you doing here?"

Spinel tried not to grit her teeth at the initial name, rocking a bit on her feet to distract herself instead. "Please just call me regular ol' Spinel, if ya don't mind! The Diamonds brought me a little while ago, and I've just been exploring this huge place in the meantime."

"The Diamonds brought you here?!" both Pearls shouted simultaneously, glancing at each other before looking back at Spinel in shock.

"Goodness, the Diamonds have been changing over time, but bringing back a cut of Gem like a Spinel certainly wasn't something I expected so soon," Yellow Pearl mused to herself. "No offense to you, Regular Ol' Spinel, obviously; the antics of our Diamonds have just been so sporadic as of late."

Hearing Yellow Pearl say her name so literally almost made Spinel want to burst out laughing, but she stayed quiet about it for personal, entertainment purposes. "Yeah, it's a super long story how I ended up here… I won't bore you with it yet, but in short, I was on Earth a little while ago and the Diamonds scooped me up so I could be their friend!"

" _ That _ explains why the Diamonds haven't contacted us yet following their return!" Yellow Pearl murmured, her eyes going wide with realization. "They must've been discussing  _ you _ this whole time."

"Yeah, you're absolutely right, which is why I took it upon myself to explore this new home of mine," Spinel affirmed. A bit sheepishly, she continued. "I do apologize for barging in on the both of you, truly! I was just surprised that there was hardly anyone in this huge place that hearing your voices really got me curious!"

Yellow Pearl waved her hands with an embarrassed chuckle. "No harm done, Regular Ol' Spinel, you didn't walk in on much besides... Blue teasing me a bit, heh. Ever since our previous Diamonds let us go strictly as servants, we've become broadcasters for all of Gemkind to be caught-up with any current events, and this room happens to be our personal hub."

Spinel flashed a genuine smile at the Pearls. "I'm glad to know both of you are doing what you enjoy!" Extending a hand, literally, Spinel continued. "It's a pleasure to meet ya… apparently, maybe again, haha."

Yellow Pearl chuckled earnestly at the joke and shook Spinel's gloved hand, seemingly entertained by the strange Earth-custom. Blue Pearl, though, was strangely silent, looking quite deep in thought despite her expression being hidden. Spinel could tell, from behind her periwinkle bangs, Blue Pearl was thinking about something,  _ considering _ something.

Yellow Pearl could tell as well. "Are you alright, Blue?" she asked with concern, placing a hand on Blue Pearl's shoulder.

"Yes, Yellow, I'm fine!" Blue Pearl chirped, giving her a small smile and gently reaching up to hold Yellow Pearl's hand in her own. "I was just thinking… we should introduce Spinel to  _ Pink _ ."

Spinel felt the searing heat rise within her again, a void of anger tearing through her, but she took a quick breath and settled herself. Pink Diamond may have wronged her, yes, but it was time to move past the anger certain words wrought and put something new it its place.

_ (Love, maybe… wouldn't that be nice?) _

"...Pink, you say?" Spinel asked, genuinely curious as to who the Pearls were referring to.

"Yes, she's fellow Pearl like us!" Yellow Pearl said with a proud smirk. "She was Pink Diamond's previous Pearl, in fact; Blue has the right idea, I think you two would get along great!"

Spinel's head was spinning figuratively. "Pink Diamond's Pearl?! I thought the one on  _ Earth _ was her Pearl!"

Yellow Pearl winced a bit, while Blue Pearl chimed in with a quiet, somber tone. "Similar to your story, Spinel, Pink's is a complicated one. We'll take you to meet her, if you'd like."

Without hesitation, Spinel nodded and lept back towards the doorway. "That'd be great! Also, I'd like to hang out with the two of you at some point… though, right now, I'll let the two of you get back to whatever you were doin' before as soon as possible." Spinel embellished that last statement with a wink, causing both Pearls to blush a bit; Yellow Pearl's more obvious and eliciting a giggle from Blue Pearl.

After recovering from their fluster, both Pearls exited their little screen room, Blue Pearl closing the door behind them as Yellow Pearl began to lead the way to where this "Pink Pearl" was. Spinel followed, impressed by how both Pearls seemed to know their way around the palace despite all of the architectural repetition, but the subtle increase of pink embellishments on the stone as they walked did clue Spinel in on as to where they were heading.

_ ...this seemed a bit familiar, didn't it? _

During their walk, Spinel's thoughts primarily dwelled on the revelation that Pink Diamond had  _ two _ Pearls. Of course, the Pearl on Earth had rebelled, but was she the first or second? Did this Pink Pearl she was about to see even know about Pink Diamond's fate, or about Steven? She must've, she was living under the same roof where broadcasts, like Steven's, took place. Once again, Spinel's memory felt a bit jogged; the appearance of Pink Diamond's court all those millenia ago  _ should've _ been something she could recall, but then again, her purpose was to be a playmate, not a recordkeeper.

"Just so you know, Regular Ol' Spinel," Yellow Pearl suddenly said, interrupting Spinel's thoughts. "Pink prefers not to hang out much around the Diamonds at the moment… she's taking a bit of a  _ 'break' _ from them. She'll talk to them if it's an absolute necessity, usually with us around. That's probably the reason why you haven't seen her much yet."

"Not to mention," Blue Pearl chimed in quietly. "She can be self-conscious about mingling with other Gems right now, though Yellow and I are trying to get her out of her shell… So if she seems shy at all, that's why."

Spinel listened carefully, nodding. "I appreciate the tips, guys, I'll keep all of that in mind!"

Both Pearls looked quite relieved at Spinel's acceptance and eagerness. Continuing their trek, Spinel wondered what this Pearl would exactly be like: would she be as soft and gentle as Blue Pearl, as prideful yet prone to fluster as Yellow Pearl, or as rebellious as the Pearl on Earth? Potentially, even a mix?

Or… playful, like her old Diamond?

  


* * *

  


After a little while more of walking (and a lot more pondering), the two Pearls and Spinel finally reached a large, magenta door near the end of a hallway, slightly larger than the ones exclusively used for Pearls, but significantly smaller than the main ones the Diamonds used. Blue Pearl skipped to the door's screen on its right, tapping a few things before the door slid open.

"...Huh, this place feels quite familiar to me," Spinel thought out loud, catching the attention of Yellow Pearl.

"You probably were here before, at some point, it  _ is  _ Pink Diamond's old room, after all," Yellow Pearl replied, gesturing a bit to the various hues of pink around them. "Considering your purpose back in Era 1, it probably wasn't a lengthy amount of time, but substantial enough to become acquainted with your Diamond and her interests before you were permanently placed somewhere in the galaxy."

Spinel considered this, lifting her eyes a moment later to see Blue Pearl gesturing for them to come inside. So much for jogging memories; at least now, Spinel could focus on making new ones.

The inside wasn't too spectacular and a bit small; the room was a basic hexagon, tall, pink walls scaling four sides, with the remaining two containing the door and a balcony. It was all quite minimalist, especially for a Diamond.

The simplicity drew Spinel's eyes and attention to the center of the room, where a  _ very _ pink Gem sat on the ground, tracing her clothed fingertips over the marble, humming a bit to herself.

The Gem had her back turned towards them, though it was quite obvious that she was a Pearl, given her distinctly lithe form. Her skin was so pale, one could be forgiven for thinking it was pure white, but a bit of pink still subtly dusted it. Unlike the standard leotards worn by the other two Pearls, this Pink Pearl wore a slightly more detailed outfit, with magenta stockings covering her slim legs, a translucent, light pink skirt similar in form to Blue Pearl's at her waist, and what looked to be a midriff-baring top connecting to stocking-like gloves on her arms. Her fine, pink hair was styled in two spiral buns on the side of her head.

Despite the similarities, Spinel couldn't help but feel quite different gazing upon this Pearl, compared to the other two, and even compared the Pearl on Earth. A warm feeling surged through her, but not like the searing one she felt before; it was much more pleasant and inviting. Her gaze settled on the Pearl's back, watching the relaxed rise and fall of her shoulders, attention fixed on her gentle humming.

Once Pink Pearl finished her song, she turned a bit to her right, one of her eyes visible. The color pink was inescapable, but Spinel couldn't help but feel that same warm, pleasant rush within her again, seeing such a soft, pink light glimmer within her pupils. Pink Pearl looked a little surprised, but she spoke with a small, curious smile upon her lips. "Oh, hello! Yellow, Blue, nice to see the both of you! I see you've got a new friend."

"She'll be your friend, too, soon enough!" Yellow Pearl said proudly, gesturing to Spinel. "Pink, this is Regular Ol' Spinel! The Diamonds brought her here a little while ago to live here with all of us."

Spinel rolled her eyes playfully, she cartwheeled away from Yellow Pearl to a more central position before Pink Pearl. " _ Spinel _ , she means. Nice to meet ya!"

Pink Pearl's face fell a bit, she looked a bit puzzled. "A…  _ Pink  _ Spinel? And the Diamonds brought her?"

Spinel internally winced at the reaction Pink Pearl gave. She readied herself for disapproval, a far too familiar feeling. 

"It's… a long story, and Blue and I don't even know the whole of it yet," Yellow Pearl nervously chuckled. "Blue just really wanted to introduce you to her, knowing your shared previous alignments."

Pink Pearl looked over Spinel thoughtfully for a few moments. Third time being scrutinized by a Pearl today; Spinel must've broken some record. ...at least Pink Pearl was…  _ cute _ .

Finally, Pink Pearl smiled again, standing up. "I appreciate the thought, both of you. Spinel, I apologize if my initial words seemed cold at all- it's a pleasure to meet you!" She turned around to face them, specifically Spinel, her whole face visible.

Spinel had a knack for holding still, but even she struggled to hold in an audible gasp.

Where Pink Pearl's other eye  _ should've _ been was…  _ nothing _ , besides pink, slightly recessed cracks, which also marred the left side of her face. She wasn't immune to the shock either, her smile strained a little in what seemed to be involuntary shame.  _ This _ is what Blue Pearl must've been referring to when mentioning Pink Pearl's shyness.

Spinel got over the momentary shock soon enough. Grinning, she strode over to Pink Pearl's side, the soles of her feet squeaking a bit, as always. The silly noise caused Pink Pearl's smile to relax, much to Spinel's relief.

Seeing that their work was complete, Yellow Pearl looped her arm through Blue Pearl's and waved at them. "We'll leave you to your own devices; Blue and I have some Gems to film!"

Blue Pearl had a delightful little grin on her face, she waved as she and Yellow Pearl walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. Spinel couldn't help but have a sneaking suspicion that the Pearls weren't  _ really  _ going to be filming much of anything, and such a thought made her chuckle to herself.

Pink Pearl heard Spinel's amusement and joined in the giggling. "Yeah, don't think they're going to be filming anything, at least not immediately. It all depends on how long they stay distracted by each other, hehe."

Hearing Pink Pearl giggle turned Spinel's attention back to her. She sounded very relaxed; giggles softer than Yellow Pearl, but more pronounced than Blue Pearl. Though odd, the heart-shaped Gem couldn't help but focus on those minute details as that warm feeling within her returned.

Once her giggling began to die down, Pink Pearl turned to Spinel. "Oh! My apologies for being so rude, would you like to sit down, Spinel?"

"Sit… down?" Spinel looked around the empty room in confusion. However, an idea suddenly popped into her mind.

"Aha!" Spinel said. She extended one of her gloved hands to the ground, bending her arm behind her in such a way to be able to sit on, and extending her other arm for Pink Pearl. "This musta been watcha meant!"

Pink Pearl laughed with genuine amusement at her antics, a rush of validation and delight crashing over Spinel when she did so. "Ah! Spinel, I appreciate the consideration and extending a 'hand' to me, but I have a simpler solution that won't make your arms go numb."

Kneeling to the ground, Pink Pearl gently knocked on the smooth marble. "Hello? Pebbles, if you don't mind, could you construct us a little something to sit on?"

Suddenly, in a small burst of steam, the floor gradually rose to produce a small bench with a back to it. Underneath the construction, in the shadows, Spinel saw a dozen little pairs of eyes staring up at her, softly chattering and mumbling to each other.

"...woah, Pebbles, hello there!" Spinel spoke softly, peering down at them and waving. "I haven't seen little guys like you in, like, 6,000 years. Thank you for the seat!"

The Pebbles continued to chatter with what seemed to be excitement, before tucking themselves back into the darkness. Once they had crawled away, Pink Pearl sat on the bench, her face overcome with surprise. "6,000 years since you've seen a Pebble?! Why, you must not have been on  _ Homeworld _ for 6,000 years!"

Spinel sat down as well, next to Pink Pearl, looking a bit sheepish. "Yeah… I guess that's a good way of putting it, heh."

Pink Pearl's brow furrowed a bit, looking quite concerned. "Yellow said the Diamonds brought you here personally… I'm honestly curious to know your story, Spinel! Especially since our Diamond was shared… well, our previous Diamond."

Spinel met Pink Pearl's concerned gaze with a bit of hesitation. The pink-tinted Pearl  _ did _ sound very genuine and caring, but Spinel remembered what happened only a short amount of time after she had told Steven her story. Despite consoling her and showing initial sympathy, he became dismissive; would Pink Pearl be the same? Would she listen to her plight, nod her head, and then politely tell her to leave? The heart-shaped Gem knew her fear was unreasonable at this point, but a bit of the heartbroken, anger-induced void within her she desperately wanted filled still lingered.

Pink Pearl noticed Spinel's hesitation, shame clouding her face as she awkwardly looked down. "O.oh… Spinel, I'm sorry, that was a rash, forward request for me to make… I.I just met you moments ago, haha… please, speak to me at your own pace, and if not at all, then I'll respect that. I'm… rusty when it comes to speaking to other Gems outside of Yellow and Blue, so I'm truly sorry for all of these mistakes I have made…"

The concern was obvious; Spinel couldn't deny it anymore, as much as that toxic, festering part of her wanted to. Turning to Pink Pearl, she smiled at her reassuringly. "Hey, it's alright! I understand ...Pink, and it isn't your fault, you were just asking me a question. I've… just been recovering from a lot myself, but I'm perfectly alright with telling you my story! You  _ were _ hers, after all, so there's no one better than you to tell!"

Perking up a bit, Pink Pearl met her gaze, eyes wide with awe and appreciation. "T.thank you, Spinel, for being patient and open with me..."

The two held their gaze for a little while, Spinel finally taking a moment to truly relish in the gentle, clear honesty Pink Pearl spoke every word with (...as well as gaze at her admittedly pretty face). The Pearl  _ cared _ , she really and truly cared. The previous void of fear Spinel felt within herself began to diminish, being replaced with that blissful warmth she longed for. Her cheeks felt a bit warm as well; Spinel hoped she didn't look  _ too _ bashful.

Pink Pearl drew in a breath as well, composing herself a bit and blinking. She smiled back at Spinel with regained confidence "Alright, I'm listening, Spinel. I'm quite curious about your story, because a part of me feels I  _ should _ have known you."

"I… honestly should know you, too," Spinel murmured, wringing her stretchy hands a bit. "Pink Diamond had two Pearls?! I met one of them, but I don't recall you… Haha, anyways, I'll stop rambling and tell you about  _ myself _ now."

Spinel met Pink Pearl's eye again; her gaze was unyielding, filling Spinel with the confidence she needed to tell her painful tale yet again.

"Alright…" Spinel readied herself before continuing. "From what I remember, I was created for Pink Diamond to be her playmate… her best friend! So she could be happy! ...because at the time, she was very sad; I think she lost something important of hers."

Spinel noticed Pink Pearl's expression change a bit at the last statement, but when she didn't say anything, the heart-shaped Gem continued.

"I was assigned to a little garden in space, created just for us, so when Pink Diamond was out of her room, she could visit me and I could play with her! I could always make her smile and laugh, and I stayed by her side to make sure she  _ always _ stayed happy. But… now that I think about it, I don't think I was doing anything right… When Pink Diamond got the message from Blue and Yellow Diamond that she would be getting her own colony, she was so excited, and I was, too!! I wanted to explore this new planet with her, and make new friends!! However, before we could leave, Pink Diamond asked me to play one final game with her: she wanted me to stand perfectly still for her, in the middle of the garden, until she returned. I, of course, agreed; she was my Diamond, after all, and it sounded like such good fun!..."

Spinel felt tears welling up in her eyes, closing them them and turning away as not show Pink Pearl such blatant weakness and heartbreak.

"So I waited for her, seconds ticking by painfully slow. I watched the garden change around me; the flowers wilt, the organic life die, the pillars crumble. But I never changed, I continued to stand there for my Diamond, my best friend. ...It wasn't until that screen within the garden, the one she had gotten the message about her colony on, suddenly appeared again, showing these strange programs… something about injector parts? And then… one by Steven Universe, Pink Diamond's son, talking about peace throughout the galaxy. She was no more, she was gone. She had… left me, standing still… f.for  _ thousands _ of years… and she  _ never _ came back for me..."

Spinel hadn't realized how much she was crying until she opened her eyes, vision blurry. Her hands were wrung and clasped together in a strained way, so she quickly untangled herself and sheepishly glanced to the side at Pink Pearl.

Pink Pearl's eye was wide and she had a hand covering her mouth, obviously suppressing a gasp. "S.Spinel… oh my goodness, Spinel, I'm so sorry… t.that happened to you?!  _ She _ did that to you?... That's  _ horrible _ ..."

" _ I'm _ horrible…!" Spinel sporadically responded, covering her face with her gloved hands. "I was full of heartbreak and rage… I stole a toxic injector and a Rejuvenator… I went to Earth to attack Steven and his friends even though they had nothing to do with what Pink Diamond did to me… we fought and fought… but, thankfully, he stopped m.me…"

Spinel cut herself off, trembling a bit with tears continuing to flow down her cheeks and through her hands. At least when she told her story while rejuvenated, she didn't cry until the end of her story. This time, she broke down not even halfway through; so much for not showing any weakness.

Through her trembling, she was vaguely aware of a gentle hand resting upon her shoulder, comfortingly. Spinel looked up from her hands and met Pink Pearl's eye, hyper aware of the warmth spreading from where the Pearl was steadying her.

"Spinel… what happened to you was horrific, abandoned like that for thousands of years," Pink Pearl whispered. "Don't hide your tears from me, please, you deserve a chance to let them out."

Trembling a bit, Spinel sat up and wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I.I'm alright now, Pink, thank you for listening to all of that. To end my story, the Diamonds came to Earth in order to tell Steven they wanted to live with him, only for the Diamonds and I to sorta find what was missing in each other instead… they brought me here, so I could provide them some entertainment."

Pink Pearl seemed a bit off-put by the sudden end of the story, but she nodded thoughtfully as she caressed Spinel's shoulder. "Gosh… so much has happened to you in the past day, Spinel."

"I'm still processing it all… but it was nice to have a lotta stuff happen all at once after thousands of years doing nothing, amiright?" Spinel chuckled to herself, managing a small smile.

Pink Pearl began quietly giggling at Spinel's little joke, her intact eye shining. "So optimistic and playful, no matter what. Spinel, you're wonderful."

Spinel felt heat rise to her cheeks again; she must've been full-on blushing at this point. Pleasant sensations brought on by validation coursed through her body as she leaned back into Pink Pearl's steady hand. "Thank you, Pink, for listening to all of that.

Pink Pearl nodded, a reassuring smile present on her face, as well as a  _ very _ cute light pink blush. However, a few moments later, her brow furrowed, and her grip on Spinel's shoulder tightened a little.

"Spinel… if you don't mind me backtracking a bit on your story, but I recall you mentioning how you were given to Pink Diamond during a time she was very sad, and you think she may have… lost something?" the Pearl carefully asked.

"Yes, at least I assume that's why she was sad." Spinel responded, curious as to why Pink Pearl seemed so fixated on that detail. "She seemed a bit lost herself sometimes, like she was looking for something that wasn't there."

Pink Pearl pursed her lips. "...do you remember what the Pearl she was with looked like?"

Spinel closed her eyes for a moment, trying to recall her absolute oldest memories before a flash of light hit her. Eyes flying open, she turned back to Pink Pearl. "I..I do! It was that Pearl on Earth hanging around Steven,  _ she _ was with her! In that ridiculous-looking dress of hers. I saw her once… maybe before I was sent to the garden? I think the Diamonds only assigned her that Pearl for Diamond-related duties, which is why she never came to the garden to play with us."

Pink Pearl was silent, but Spinel noticed her face fell, and the gentle caressing on her shoulder ceased. She shifted a little closer, speaking softly. "You okay, Pink?"

"Y.yes… I'm fine, Spinel," Pink Pearl whispered, a tear streaming down her right cheek. "It's just that… everything makes sense now."

Spinel frowned, feeling an acute urge to lift her gloved hand to Pink Pearl's cheek and brush those tears away. "What does?"

Giving a breathy sigh, Pink Pearl spoke. "I was Pink Diamond's original Pearl, Spinel. I'm sure you've gathered that by now… We used to have such fun together, playing around, yet making sure to keep ourselves proper for the Diamonds. However, our playful little secret got out at some point and… t.they took me away from her…"

Spinel's eyes widened, drinking everything in. Realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. "W.what did they do to you?"

Pink Pearl lifted her head and didn't say a word, Spinel meeting her eyes. One eye, full of heartbreak, the other nonexistent, with only scars and cracks left in its wake.

Now it was Spinel's turn to gasp.

"I… honestly can't recall anything from the time I was captured to the time Steven saved me a couple years ago," Pink Pearl continued, her hand falling from Spinel's shoulder back onto her lap. "Apparently,  _ that _ happened to my eye, and I was under White Diamond's mind control for thousands of years. All because I was a Pearl who played and joked around with my Diamond in a casual, honest way…"

All of the pieces fell into place way too easily. Spinel teared up, scooting closer to Pink Pearl on the bench. "O.oh, Pink, I'm sorry… What White Diamond did to you was  _ awful _ , hurting you for being yourself… How  _ dare _ she..."

Pink Pearl was silent, her trembling shoulders sagging, and her eye closed. Spinel, without even thinking, extended her arms a bit around Pink Pearl, before realizing what she was doing. Hugging another Gem unprovoked, especially one as reserved as Pink Pearl? What on Homeworld was she thinking?!

Thankfully, Spinel didn't have to think about potential mistakes anymore when Pink Pearl's eye suddenly shot open as she wrapped her arms around Spinel's torso, her chest pressing to Spinel's Gem.

"Spinel… it's alright, you can hold me… p.please hold me, and please, let me hold you," Pink Pearl whispered into her shoulder, her breath tickling Spinel's neck. "We both need it."

Spinel was pretty sure her cheeks were flushed so dark that she could have been considered Off-Color, but she did as Pink Pearl requested despite that. Extending her thin, elastic arms, she wrapped both around Pink Pearl's waist, one glove settling at her left shoulder blade and the other at the small of her back. Placing her chin upon Pink Pearl's shoulder, Spinel let out a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding.

The two Gems sat there for who knows how long, holding each other, relishing in each other's warmth. Neither spoke, they just relaxed. At one point, Pink Pearl raised a hand and ran it over Spinel's scalp in a soothing, comforting way. The breathy sigh Spinel let out was embarrassing, to say the least, but she could hardly care anymore in the moment.

A thought suddenly popped into Spinel's mind. "Wanna know something funny, Pink?" she murmured into Pink Pearl's shoulder, tilting her head in such a way that her words wouldn't be muffled by the soft fabric.

"What's that, Spinel?" Pink Pearl softly responded, her voice delicate like a song.

"The past few thousand years were _ crazy _ for us!" Spinel began to giggle. "For me, they were monotonous; I felt every second scrape by me, but for you, those thousands of years literally passed by in less than a second. Funny, that, how different our experiences were, yet how similar and connected really we are!"

Pink Pearl pulled away from Spinel's shoulder, genuinely laughing, her face wide with an adorable smile. "Spinel! You're right!"

Before she knew it, Spinel joined in the laughing fit with Pink Pearl, the weight of everything crashing down yet also being lifted. It was an amazing feeling, that revelation, and it was an amazing feeling to be held in the Pearl's slender, warm arms. Through their sorely-needed laughter, Spinel hadn't realized how close their foreheads were, bonking against Pink Pearl's.

"Oh! Sorry 'bout that, Pink!" Spinel giggled, lifting her eyes before suddenly freezing.

The laughter ceased. She was so close. _Too_ close; Spinel could feel Pink Pearl's breath upon her lips, and she didn't have to look down to know that they were only a short distance apart. Pink Pearl's eye was wide, and that lovely, light pink blush was splayed across her cheeks.

Spinel's insides were on fire, pulses of warmth coursing through her and encouraging her to close the gap, to crash those soft lips against her own! She may have just been imagining it, but it felt like the hand Pink Pearl had at the back of her head was…  _ tugging _ her closer.

However, the moment didn't last. A faint chime rang through the room, and Pink Pearl immediatly squeaked, untangling herself from a shocked, magenta-faced Spinel.

"U.uhm… Spinel, that's White Diamond's chime…" Pink Pearl whispered in a low voice, clutching at the bench.

"Oh…?" Spinel could barely even register anything, besides the quick rise and fall of Pink Pearl's chest and how utterly  _ beautiful _ she looked when her cheeks were tinted with color. She longed to be near her warmth again, with that hand caressing her head and those soft lips beckoning her closer.

Suddenly, the bench she and Pink Pearl had previously been sitting on sunk into the ground, leaving them on the floor. In an instant, the door flew open, Yellow and Blue Pearl briskly walking in. 

"Regular Ol' Spinel!" Yellow Pearl declared, pointing at her with determination. "The Diamonds have requested to talk to you! However, since they didn't know where you wandered off to, they contacted us in order to find you. So, if you don't mind, please come with us!"

"Huh, guess they finally figured out where I'll be staying!" Spinel chuckled, springing to her feet and offering her gloved hand for Pink Pearl to stand up. "Took 'em long enough!"

"Y.you know, Spinel, you could always stay in here with me… I.if you wanted to, of course," Pink Pearl whispered as she stood up, gently holding Spinel's hand. "I would love your company… and, if I'm being honest, I get a little lonely here, by myself, sometimes… the Pebbles are friendly, don't get me wrong, but someone like  _ you _ , Spinel, is someone I've wanted to meet for years."

Spinel felt herself blushing a bit again, smiling at Pink Pearl, her chest thrumming with excitement and need. However, Yellow Pearl's exasperated voice interjected.

"Pink, we've told you time and time again that you  _ could've _ stayed with us!" Out of the corner of her eye, Spinel saw Blue Pearl settle a hand on Yellow Pearl's back, whispering something to her, the yellow-tinted Pearl grimacing and blushing.

"Well, in that case, you and I could-" Spinel stopped herself short, remembering what Yellow Pearl had said. She cleared her throat. " _ I _ could ask the Diamonds permission to stay with you when I go meet them. Just stay here, I'll be back in no time!"

Pink Pearl's eye was shining, and she raised a hand to cover her mouth. "T.thank you, Spinel…"

Spinel gently squeezed the Pearl's dainty hand, letting go and giving her a brave smile. She quickly strode over to the pair of Pearls in the doorway, Yellow Pearl smiling at her with satisfaction, probably for remembering the tip about Pink Pearl she gave her previously.

Yellow and Blue Pearl turned and walked out of the room, Spinel following suite, but not before turning her head and waving at Pink Pearl. When Pink Pearl waved back, uncovering her mouth to show a happy smile - Spinel swore she had never felt more elated in her life. Figured as much, though; she did stand still in a garden for most of it.

As Blue Pearl tapped on the door's screen once Spinel had exited, Yellow Pearl seemed to be deep in thought. "You and Pink got along quite well, it seems, you were in there for  _ hours _ !"

"Well, they  _ did _ have a lot to talk about, Yellow," Blue Pearl whispered, standing by her side once she finished closing the door.

"As I'm sure both of you spent quite a while filming something~" Spinel mused, twiddling her thumbs and smirking.

Blue Pearl began giggling like crazy, burying her face a bit in Yellow Pearl's shoulder, while Yellow Pearl's entire face was aflame with a dark blush, her eye twitching. "Whatever Pink told you about us, Regular Ol' Spinel, it's… ah, most likely an exaggeration. Now let's  _ go _ !"

Yellow Pearl briskly stomped past Spinel with Blue Pearl skipping behind, a happy little grin still on her face. Spinel followed them, glad that her teasing was being acknowledged; even after only a short while of being there, she already felt connected to the Pearls.

As they walked through the hallway, beyond the sound of the Pearls' flats hitting the stone and her own squeaky shoes, Spinel could have sworn she heard something else, but it might've just been her imagination.

  


* * *

  


"Spinel! There you are! Goodness, as precious as before!"

Spinel hadn't even been standing in the huge ballroom a mere second before the three Diamonds, all perched upon their large thrones, stood up in hasty delight when she and the Pearls walked in. White Diamond, who had just spoken, seemed to be radiating with giddiness.

Yellow Diamond chuckled. "We thought we'd lost you! Though, I figured you were just exploring a bit; I reassured White and Blue that you'd be back in no time."

Spinel rubbed that back of her head sheepishly. "Heh, yeah, I'm sorry for not telling you guys where I went, I didn't wanna interrupt your lil' discussion about my room."

"Oh, so polite and reverent," Blue Diamond whispered, gazing down at Spinel with fondness. "Don't worry, we aren't upset, Spinel. And, about the room…-"

"Nevermind the room for a moment, Blue, we have something important to tell Spinel, remember?" White Diamond interrupted, clapping her hands together. "Spinel, dear, we are going to welcome your return to Homeworld with a broadcast to the galaxy! That way, any and all Gems in our immediate vicinity will know who you are, and can accept you with a gentle urge from us Diamonds!"

Spinel blinked, taking a moment to process an introduction of that scale. Thousands of years of no contact with anyone, and suddenly, the whole disbanded empire would know about her? The heart-shaped Gem didn't exactly know how to feel about that. "I.I'm flattered… wow… Um, are you sure it's necessary, my Diamonds? I.I don't know if me returning really means everyone has to know about immediately."

"Of  _ course _ it's necessary, dear," White Diamond replied proudly. "We've brought you back here in a celebratory manner, everyone should know!"

Yellow Diamond nodded in affirment, waving a hand. "Pearls? If you could, please bring your equipment in here, we must set up for this to be aired live!"

Yellow Pearl nodded while Blue Pearl gave a quick thumbs-up, beginning to dash to the back of the room.

"Can everyone wait for just a moment?" a soft, familiar voice suddenly spoke.

All three of the Diamonds turned their attention to the doorway in front of them, and both Pearls also paused. Spinel spun around in shock. 

There, in the vast, Diamond-sized doorway, was Pink Pearl, posed and erect, shoulders square, and determination present within her one-eyed gaze. Despite this confidence, Spinel could inherently tell the Pearl was nervous;  _ what was she doing here?! _

"...wait?  _ Wait _ ?! Why do you say that…  _ Pearl _ ?" There was a bit of underlying venom in White Diamond's tone. The reminder that White Diamond was the one who hurt and abused Pink Pearl struck Spinel like lightning, and a bit of the bitter, compulsive side of her wanted to take Pink Pearl in her arms and spring out of the room.

"Because… don't you hear yourselves?!" Pink Pearl retorted, her eye narrowing. "Especially you, White Diamond; you want to go on a live, intergalactic broadcast to show off Spinel to all of Gemkind like she's some new toy you found. Even if that's not the case, even if you view Spinel as more than just a toy or a replacement for Pink Diamond, it  _ sounds _ like you value her as nothing more than an object to be entertained by. And… I can say with absolute certainty that Spinel is  _ not _ just a toy, she's someone kind and funny, who is an incredible friend. So, I implore you, let Spinel learn about and rediscover Homeworld at her own pace, without every Gem being told  _ how _ to feel about her."

At that last statement, Pink Pearl broke her death gaze with White Diamond and glanced at Spinel, her expression softening as she smiled. Spinel grinned back, her cheeks feeling a bit warm after hearing Pink Pearl make such a strong, honest case for her privacy, as well as compliment her.

Everyone was silent for a few moments. White Diamond looked stunned, as did Yellow Diamond. Yellow and Blue Pearl remained in shock, mouths agape as they shared a look. The only one who didn't seem taken aback was Blue Diamond, whose eyes were closed as she gave a long sigh.

"She's right, you know, listen to us!" Blue Diamond said softly, turning to White Diamond. "The first thing we do to Spinel after bringing her back to Homeworld was bore her with our outrageously long conversation, and now we're forcing her to appear in front of millions of Gems in order to show her off… that is  _ not _ how we should be treating her, especially after all she went through!"

White Diamond stayed silent for a few more moments. Spinel didn't want to leave Pink Pearl's gentle, passionate gaze, but she turned around to look up at White Diamond with a hint of pleading.

Finally, White Diamond sighed herself. "Fine, fine, you have a point… ehh,  _ Pearl _ . We will not broadcast Spinel immediately, rather, we will let her explore Homeworld and meet Gems at her…  _ own pace _ ."

Yellow Diamond nodded in agreement, while Blue Diamond smiled down at Spinel. Yellow and Blue Pearl looked quite surprised, but they eventually both smiled in relief, Blue Pearl now giving a thumbs-up to Spinel. 

Spinel felt so relieved, but through her giddiness she suddenly remembered a certain something. Cartwheeling over to the doorway, she stood by Pink Pearl's side, catching the Pearl off-guard. "My Diamonds, one more request, if you don't mind, or is it a suggestion? At any rate, may I stay in Pink Diamond's old room, with my new Pearl-buddy here?"

The little happy gasp Spinel heard beside her made her feel warmer than the core of a star. She gave Pink Pearl a flustered little smile, before looking up at the Diamonds expectantly.

"Hmm, well we  _ were _ going to repurpose an old room for you," White Diamond mused. "It can be Pink's, if that's your preference. Hopefully the…  _ Pearl _ beside you can properly teach you the way there, I know this palace is quite a maze."

Pink Pearl rolled her eye a little, smirking. "She'll learn fast, I assure you."

Spinel was ecstatic, bouncing a bit with joy around Pink Pearl, causing the Pearl's tough smirk to falter with a giggle. "Thank you, oh generous Diamonds!"

"We'll let you get settled in, Spinel," Blue Diamond chuckled. "If you don't mind, Yellow and I would like to show you some of the palace amenities later; the Pearls will escort you when we are ready."

"Indeed we will," Yellow Pearl said proudly, Blue Pearl standing by her side with an amused grin directed at Spinel and Pink Pearl.

"Alright, then, everyone's dismissed for the time being," White Diamond said with a bit of exasperation. "On that note, Pearls, if you could, please air that second segment about the disposing of Kindergarten injector parts, I feel like you filmed that  _ ages _ ago!"

"Indeed, I've wanted to air that for what feels like eons!" Yellow Pearl exclaimed with wild gestures to the air. She and White Diamond began to have an intense conversation about airing schedules, a giggling Blue Pearl within the mix. With the meeting disbanded, Pink Pearl gently tugged on Spinel's hand and led her outside the ballroom, back in the direction of the vast halls.

"Pink… Thank you for standing up for me like that all of the sudden," Spinel whispered as Pink Pearl led her out of the corridor by the hand. "I know being around the Diamonds isn't exactly your favorite thing in the world…"

"Yes, it certainly isn't," Pink Pearl sighed before turning to Spinel with a brave smile. "...But that isn't going to stop me from standing by your side, Spinel, as your friend!"

"My… friend," Spinel echoed, meeting Pink Pearl's eye. She recalled what she had told Steven back on Earth, about how what she desired most was to start from scratch with someone, to be someone's friend. Not necessarily the Diamonds; it  _ could _ be someone else. It was  _ now _ someone else.

Spinel had fears, she couldn't deny it. She knew she had a dark void of anger within her that was afraid of abandonment and scared of not being able to please. However, gazing at Pink Pearl, that genuine smile on her lips, that look of unbridled adoration, Spinel could suppress those feelings. Instead, that feeling of comforting warmth within her lingered; Spinel cherished it, she cherished Pink Pearl with all of her figurative heart.

Distracted how slender Pink Pearl's beautiful fingers were and by how well her hand slotted into her gloved one, Spinel didn't exactly pay attention to the route taken to their room. Not that she minded, there would be plenty more chances to learn, hand-in-hand, of course.

Plenty of chances for new memories to be made.

**Author's Note:**

> *8,500 words later*  
Hehe, Spinel makes me the big lesbiab.


End file.
